ITG Next South Georgia December/January 2022-23 Magazine

Moss Farms Diving Facility: Build It and They Will Come Playoff Loss Leaves Brooks County Coach in Unfamiliar Circumstances

Top 10 Georgia High School Baseball Teams: Preseason Rankings Garrett Grady Reflects on First Season as Brunswick Head Football Coach

DEC/JAN 2022-23

4 Questions With GHSA Executive Director Dr. Robin Hines

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PHYSICIANS David P. Antekeier, MD

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Douglas W. Pahl, MD

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Charles W. Hartzog, Jr., MD

David C. Rehak, MD

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Patrick J. Fernicola, MD

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Brook Bearden, MD L. Fielding Callaway, MD Kevin J. Collins, MD Michael E. Davis, MD

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Contributors Publisher Mark Dykes Editor Anna Limoges Copy Editors Phil Jones Anna Limoges Allen Allnoch

Feature Stories 6

Playoff Loss Leaves Brooks County Coach in Unfamiliar Circumstances

9

Patrick Kimple, Clinch County Senior, Shines as First-Year Football Player

10

Moss Farms Diving Facility: Build It and They Will Come

Graphic Design Mandy Rodriguez

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Stratford Academy Middle School Football Standout Has Bright Future Ahead

Player Profile Photography Brandon Pham

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Top 10 Georgia High School Baseball Teams: Preseason Rankings

30

5 Questions With Dooly County Head Football Coach Cecil Lester

35

4 Questions With GHSA Executive Director Dr. Robin Hines

39

Garrett Grady Reflects on First Season as Brunswick Head Football Coach

Feature Photography Brandon Pham Allen Allnoch Sean Perry Feature Writers Phil Jones Dhruv Mohan Advertising/Marketing Mark Dykes mark@itgnext.com

ITG Next is published bi-monthly. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in part or in full without written consent from the publisher.

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Player Profiles: 8 15

Jake Maxwell | Veterans

19

Karsen Murray | Mitchell County

25

Keron Milton | Northside

28

Stantavious Smith | Dougherty

32

James Clarkson | Valwood

36

Tony Burkes | Mitchell County

40

Kamal Bonner | Colquitt County

44

Carson Page | Lowndes

Landon Kight | Fitzgerald

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Playoff Loss Leaves Brooks County Coach in Unfamiliar Circumstances Written by: Phil Jones Photography by: Brandon Pham

Do you remember what you were doing around the middle of November in 2004?

Chances are you probably don’t. For Maurice Freeman, that was the last time – until the 2022 season – that he didn’t coach in a second-round high school playoff game.

He was with the Brunswick Pirates then. For 17 straight seasons since then, including the last 14 at Brooks County, Freeman had led his team to at least the second round of the state playoffs.

That streak ended with a first-round playoff loss

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to Bleckley County, and the Trojans head football coach felt lost.

“It’s downright unpleasant,” Freeman said of his suddenly free Friday night. “It’s unpleasant, and it’s an uncomfortable situation. I feel so out of place right now.”

Freeman was speaking on the afternoon of Nov. 18 when his Trojans typically would have been getting ready for a second-round playoff game. He would have been taking his troops through their customary pre-game meal, followed by a team devotional and

final instructions before entering their last stages of preparation. But that was not the case on this particular Friday, and it carried a palpable sense of emptiness.

The Trojans head coach found himself in this strange situation after his team lost to Bleckley County in the opening round of the Class A-D1 playoffs by a 14-10 margin. That playoff loss was indeed a rarity for Freeman since his return to Brooks County in 2008.

Beginning with that first season, he had not only guided his Trojans to the playoffs every year, they had always made it to at least the second round in each of those seasons. That’s 14 consecutive postseasons of playing at least twice, and in many of those seasons, the Trojans made it even further.

Late in the 2022 sea-

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son, with the Trojans at 5-1 entering a game against Irwin County, Brooks County was looking to defeat their rival for the third consecutive time. They had defeated the Indians in the regular season in 2021, then again in the Class A Public state championship game.

With Brooks leading Irwin 7-6 in the third quarter, an injury to starting quarterback Jamal Sanders knocked the senior signal caller out of the game, not only affecting the outcome of that game, (a 19-7 win for Irwin County), but very likely altering the remaining path of the season. Sanders suffered a broken fibula, costing the standout quarterback the rest of his season, his career, and likely a fourth straight trip to the state finals for Brooks County.

While Freeman said

he doesn’t like to make excuses, he does admit that losing Sanders was tough to overcome.

“Jamal was 50 percent of our offense,” Freeman said. “Anytime you have a guy that you run that much of your offense through, it’s going to be tough.”

So what was Freeman planning to do with his free Friday night? The Brooks County coach said the playoff loss gave him the opportunity to spent more time with his number one fan.

“I’m going to step out of character for the first time in a long time, and cater to my wife and do whatever she wants to do,” he said. “I’m going to show her how much she means to me and how much I appreciate her.”

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Patrick Kimple, Clinch County Senior, Shines as First-Year Football Player Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Allen Allnoch

Clinch County senior Patrick Kimple plays center field for the Panthers baseball team. He’s been a solid outfielder with a .985 fielding percentage, committing just one error in 41 games.

Like most center fielders, Kimple is pretty fast, tracking down balls on defense and showing good speed on the base paths. Panthers head football coach Don Tison regularly attended Clinch County baseball games and was familiar with Kimple prior to the 2022-23 school year.

“I have actually known Patrick for a pretty good while,” said Tison, who knew one of Kimple's family members and had spent considerable time around the Clinch senior.

Tison said every time he ran into Kimple, he would ask him about coming out to play football.

“I had asked Patrick for years about playing football, but he always wanted to just stick with baseball,” Tison said.

What was it that the Clinch County football coach saw in Kimple that made him so persistent?

“I just saw his competitiveness and leadership when he was on the baseball field,” Tison said. “I knew that even if he didn’t develop into a great football player, his leadership would really add a lot to our team on the field, in the huddle, and especially in the locker room.”

Following the 2021 season, with Tison still nudging Kimple, the rising senior and class valedictorian decided to give it a shot. He

told Coach Tison he was ready to play football.

“I knew he really wanted to try to play,” said Tison.

While Tison was excited to finally have Kimple join the Panthers football team, there was a slight problem: Kimple had never played football. He would be suiting up alongside teammates who had been playing the sport their entire lives, putting him at a disadvantage – or so it would seem, right?

According to Tison, Kimple faced a steep learning curve at first.

“Patrick came in and attended every single summer workout, and looked pretty comfortable to start with,” Tison recalled. “But when it was time to put the pads on and learn how to do everything with assignments and things like that, I wasn’t sure if he would be able to catch up with the

game. Patrick had missed so many years, I didn’t know if he would be able to make it all up in less than a year.”

But he did. And then some.

“Patrick began to really blossom,” Tison said. “He turned into a really good football player, starting on offense as a running back for us, and he played a good bit on defense, also.”

Just as Kimple was getting comfortable learning the game, he endured a setback, a dislocated thumb that forced him to play with a brace on his hand – not an ideal situation for a running back trying to take handoffs or hang on to the football.

“It was amazing that he was able to play with that thing,” Tison said.

For Patrick Kimple, he just accepted the problem and learned how to deal with it. Piece of cake for this fast learner.

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Moss Farms Diving Facility: Build It and They Will Come Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Brandon Pham

Most everyone knows that Moultrie, Georgia is home to one of the top high school football powerhouses in the state, the Colquitt County Packers. The team arguably has been one of the top – if not the top – team in Georgia’s highest classification for years, and maybe even the best overall team in the state. They train and practice at one of the finest football facilities in the state, complete with a climate-controlled indoor practice facility.

Moultrie is the county seat of Colquitt, which is a leading producer of several agricultural crops, including cabbage, corn, and tobacco. However, what you may not know is that Moultrie is known statewide, nationally, and even worldwide for its premier diving facility. Yes, diving. Surprised? Don’t be.

Moultrie is home to Moss Farms Diving Facility, a state-of-theart complex in the heart of Moultrie, amidst the football fields and fields of cotton and tobacco. It isn’t necessarily where you would expect to find a facility that attracts and trains national and international diving talent – young men and women who will go on to become the best divers in the world.

But it is here, and how it got here is the stuff of legends.

John Fox, who has been with Moss Farms Diving Facility since 2015 and oversees the facility and its operation as Director of Diving, Head Coach, and CFO, gave us a bit of the history of Moss Farms Diving Facility and the man who started it all, Robert “Moose” Moss.

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“Moose was a fighter pilot and mercenary in World War II and flew a P-40 with the ‘Flying Tigers’ logo on the front,” Fox said.

Inspired by their founder’s military service, the diving teams are known as the Moss Farms Diving Tigers.

When Moss returned to his farm after World War II, he wanted to create an activity that his children and their friends could enjoy.

“Moose had a bit of an acrobatic background when he was younger and thought diving would be great for his

kids,” Fox said.

By 1965, with no experience in pool building or diving, Moss was reaching out to the top diving coaches in the country and learning all he could about the technical aspects and the art of diving. Back on his farm, he and his wife decided to build a pool, which included a 1M and 3M board. From there, Moss began teaching his kids and their friends about diving. Moose Moss’s dream was born.

As word began to spread about the pool, so did the interest in diving.

More and more kids were

coming to Moss Farms, eager to learn diving.

Moss recognized from the teaching of his mentors that if he wanted to train these kids to be truly great divers, he would need to train them yearround, and to do that would require an indoor facility. That’s when Moss partnered with the Moultrie YMCA, which had an indoor pool. Now, armed with the facilities, knowledge, and rapid interest in diving, Moss created an invitational diving competition at his facility, where divers could come and compete for trophies, medals, and exposure. Soon afterwards, in 1970, Moss’s daughter Peggy captured a National Junior Olympics gold medal, and the facility and its reputation really took off.

Build It and They Will Come

Moose Moss knew he had created something that would continue to grow and would require a bigger facility. But Moss wanted to build the best diving facility around, one that would go above and beyond what was available now and with

the best equipment. He decided that his facility would be like no other in the country, so he went to work raising funds and benchmarking against other top dive facilities around the United States.

Fox said it was similar to the Field of Dreams movie, where the farmer decides to turn his corn field into a baseball field.

“Build it and they will come,” Fox said. “It was just like the movie.

This was the same thing.

Moose knew that the facility he was envisioning would not just serve the needs of the local community, but would attract parents and kids eager to learn the sport of diving.”

Fox said Moss then went out and raised the money to build a new state-of-the-art facility – “the same facility that we are in now,” he said.

Moss actually donated the entire facility to the Moultrie-Colquitt County Parks and Recreation Authority, with the understanding that the department would maintain the facility, which it still does. In 1991, Moose Moss’ latest dream became a reality, and Moss Farms Diving Facility was

“We have more tools than any other place on the planet I have ever been to teach diving.”

— John Fox

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ready to train and host divers from around the country – and beyond.

Moose Farms Diving Facility consists of four 1-meter springboards, four 3-meter springboards, and a tower platform with 1-meter, 3-meter, 5-meter, 7½-meter and 10-meter springboards. There is also a dryland facility, which allows the divers to train and work on their technique out of the water.

The facility has groomed high school diving champions, NCAA All-Americans, and Olympians, as well as the top coaches in the country.

Fox said Moss Farms offers divers everything they need to be successful.

“We have more tools than any other place on the planet I have ever been to teach diving,” Fox said.

Moss Farms Diving Facility underwent a much-needed renovation that spanned a two-year period from 2019 to 2020.

“In 2019 we partnered with the Moultrie Parks and Rec Authority, and a massive renovation was launched,” said Fox. “The facilities are now back to their original glory, with some new additions as well.”

Among the elite divers Moss Farms has produced is Carson Tyler, a Colquitt County native who was a two-time state champion for the Packer swim team, a Georgia diving state record holder, a two-time junior national champion, and currently a member of the Indiana University men’s swimming and diving team.

Tyler’s parents, Charlton and Laura Tyler, raved about the impact Moss Farms had on him.

“Moss Farms completely changed our son,” Laura Tyler said.

“He learned from the best coaches in the 12 | itgnext.com

world, and he started out not knowing a thing about diving.”

Laura emphasized that discipline is a big part of the Moss Farms success.

“People don’t realize how much discipline there is with diving,” she said. “The coaches are stern and tough, but they love those kids. They are simply teaching them to be the best divers in the world.”

Carson is a member of Team USA and a threetime junior Pan American championship team member. He just won his first “senior” medal at the FINA World Championships in Budapest, Hungary. Carson credited his coach and his early years of development at Moss Farms Diving Facility for where he is today.

“I was a diver there for 12 years, ever since I was 5,” he said. “I attribute most of my development at Moss Farms to Coach John Fox. He’s a student of the sport and I don’t think I’d be the diver that I am today without his help.”

Another successful diver is Bo Bridges, who has been learning under Coach Fox for the past seven years. He is a junior at Colquitt County High School and the defending GHSA boys 1-meter diving state champion.

Bridges also is a part of the three-time defending state champion Colquitt County swim team.

“Bo is one of our top leaders in our dive program,” Fox said.

The man who started it all, Robert “Moose” Moss passed away in 1993, just two years after seeing his grand vision for Moss Farms Diving Facility become reality. But, as Fox reminds us, “His legacy lives on.”

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Stratford Academy Middle School Football Standout Has Bright Future Ahead Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Allen Allnoch

It’s not every day you see a 15-year-old middle school student-athlete bench pressing 225 pounds 10 times. Then again, there aren’t many middle school athletes walking around like Thomas Gregory, a Stratford Academy football player.

He is 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs approximately 230 pounds… as an 8th-grader.

The son of Billy and Allison Gregory just completed his middle school football season at Stratford Academy, where he

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played along the offensive and defensive lines – or perhaps I should say where he dominated on both lines. Thomas recently was honored as Co-Middle School Player of the Year at the ITG Next South Georgia Football Banquet.

“It was pretty much a mismatch this past year when Thomas lined up against his opponents on the other side of the ball,” said Stratford football coach Ed Smith. “He is a big strong kid who plays with great intensity and

plays with a high motor.”

Like any great player, though, Thomas doesn’t excel with just brute force.

“From a technical standpoint, Thomas has very sound fundamentals, and is well ahead of most every other player his same age in that area,” Smith said. “You can tell Thomas has worked on his technique in the various offseason camps, and that’s unusual from a player as young as he is. That comes with maturity, and Thomas is more mature than most 15-year-olds. When he is on the field, Thomas is a quiet leader, who leads by example.”

Thomas said he loves the game, and that love comes naturally.

“My dad played football at Marshall as a defensive end, and my grandpa played at the University of Miami as a quarterback,” he said.

With family roots on offense and defense, which side of the ball does Thomas prefer?

“I really love to play both offensive line and defensive line, but I prefer to play on defense,” he said.

Whatever the case, it’s a safe bet Thomas will continue to add to his already-impressive stature, especially considering his love of the weight room.

“I really like weightlifting,” he said, adding that he hopes to break the state weightlifting record once he reaches high school.

Despite his size, Thomas is not just a big-bodied, lumbering lineman.

“Thomas is a really good athlete, and he can run well,” Smith said.

The coach said Thomas’s speed led Stratford coaching staff to consider him for a linebacker position, but they ultimately determined that D-line was the position Thomas was better suited for.

“He can just get to the quarterback so much quicker from his defensive line position that we felt it was best for him and the team to play him there,” Smith said.

That athleticism also serves Thomas well in other sports. He plays baseball and wrestles, and this past year he proved he’s a pretty good grappler – he won a

wrestling state title in the 220-pound class.

“I plan to continue to play all three going into high school if I can,” Thomas said.

There’s no question that the middle school athlete is athletically gifted, but he and his coach agree that football may very well be where he has the brightest future.

“He has all the gifts that the great linemen possess, and I would project him to be an offensive guard or center, and he will be a very good one,” Smith said.

What are Thomas’ goals?

“I hope to play football as long as I can,” he said.

He has a backup plan if football doesn’t become a career, though.

“I would like to get a business degree and own my own business one day,” he said.

Great plan. But I’m betting football will be a part of Thomas Gregory’s life for a long time.

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Top 10 Georgia High School Baseball Teams: Preseason Rankings Written by: Phil Jones

Here is a look at our Georgia high school baseball preseason top 10 rankings. These are the teams we think are going to be the ones to beat in their respective regions and classifications in 2023.

While high school football certainly gets a lot of attention, and much deserved, there is a lot of major talent in the Georgia high school baseball landscape, too.

Parkview leads our poll as Chan Brown’s Panthers have college commits at practically every position heading into 2023. He talks about how hard his team has worked this offseason (see the Parkview team caption below).

A couple of other programs known for their history of fielding strong baseball teams come in at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots in Houston County and Lowndes, respectively, and either one could make a strong case for the top spot.

Really, every one of the following teams are good enough to win championships. That’s why we have them as our 10 best. Here they are, our ITG Next top 10 Georgia high school baseball preseason rankings for 2023.

(7A) Parkview The Panthers are the ITG Next No. 1 preseason baseball pick, and with as much talent as coach Chan Brown’s team has returning, it would be hard to not select Parkview as the top team. They return 10 players who are committed to play collegiately, including potential MLB first-round pick SS Colin Houck.

Other returning seniors and their committed schools are OF Ali Banks (Georgia Highlands), RHP Jackson Colett (Berry College), and RHP/1B Landon Stripling (Texas Tech).

Returning juniors include 3B Cade Brown (UGA), RHP Thorpe Musci (Georgia Tech), OF Makhi Buckley (Tulane), and LHP Ford Thompson (UGA). Starting C/RHP Ethan Finch also returns.

Coach Brown saidthat he and his team are focused on one thing: “Our players are getting ready mentally and physically to hopefully go on a fun ride this season.

We want to get the program back to having a chance at a state championship.”

Brown also said that he has been pleased with how hard his team has worked this offseason: “I am very proud of how hard these guys have worked towards achieving their goals.”

This formidable lineup should send Parkview to the top of Class 7A by season’s end.

(6A)Houston County This baseball-rich program will once again contend for the Class 6A title, hoping to return to their dominance of 2021, when they last won the championship. The Bears of head coach Matt Hopkins will return 10 starters and have just about everything you need to win a title: strong pitching, position players, and some solid bats throughout the order.

Leading the returners will be All-State OF Drew Burress, who will also see time at 3B. Hopkins said that Burress showed incredible power last season and came very close to a state record at the plate.

“Drew hit 17 home runs last season and missed the state all-time RBI record by one with 73,” Hopkins said.

HoCo has maybe the most intimidating RHP in 6-foot-7 Andrew Dunford. He’ll make RH hitters think twice before digging in too hard in the batter’s box.

Hopkins said the goal is “to win our county, win our region, and compete for a state championship.”

“This year’s team is hungry following last season, and they are driven to do something special this spring,” he said.

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(7A) Lowndes The Vikings are ready to roll into 2023 with a complete roster of talent from top to bottom. Coach Ryan Page will have perhaps his deepest team to give the Vikings a real shot at making noise in Class 7A this year. Page said that he is excited about the experience returning this season.

“We are returning seven starters and most of our offense from a team that scored runs last year,” Page said.

He also said the team’s defense should be a plus, but that the great unknown is on the mound.

“We return our closer from a year ago, but we are going to rely on some guys who don’t have a lot of pitching experience,” Page said.

However, there should be more than enough position players to carry the Vikings. Carson Page is a junior 2B who is already committed to Georgia Tech and plays with the 15U Team USA. CF Qrey Lott is one of the best outfielders in Georgia, and 3B Tate Sirmans, who is committed to South Carolina, plays the hot corner better than most. Watch out for the Vikings in 2023.

(4A) North Oconee Topping last season’s Class 4A state championship 39-1 season will be tough, but with returning All-State selections Cale Stricklin, Jack Fabris, Grayson Goodbee, and KJ Moon all returning to give the Titans a solid core, look for head coach Jay Laslee’s team to make yet another run at defending their state championship in 2023.

The Titans will also have an imposing presence on the mound with 6-foot-3 RHP Wyatt Land returning, along with a big bat and strong arm in 6-foot-4 OF Kyle Jones back. Other contributors expected to help get the Titans and Lasley another championship are junior RHP Braedon Hussen and senior C Cam Hassan.

(5A) Cartersville The Purple Hurricanes of head coach Kyle Tucker advanced to the Class 5A state championship game last season, only to fall to eventual state champs Loganville. But solid pitching is the thing to give any team a shot at a state title, and Cartersville has as solid a group as anyone in Class 5A in 2023. That group includes Ryan Johnson, Caden Carroll, and Phillip Schlitz, all RHPs. Cartersville will ride that staff to another chance at finishing the drill this year.

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(6A) Etowah The Eagles move from Class 7A to Class 6A this season by way of reclassification, but regardless of what class they are in, look for similar results from coach Greg Robinson’s team in 2023. Under his leadership, Etowah finished as the Class 7A runner-up last year, but with almost everyone returning this season, that may be enough to put them over the top this time.

Back are three RHPs in senior Danny Hershberger, junior Dimitri Angelakos, and junior Caleb Hughes. Hershberger and Angelakos are both All-State selections. Look for senior RHP Isaac Griffin to give an additional strong arm to the Etowh pitching depth this season.

(6A) Thomas Co Central Talk about a loaded team. Thomas County Central head baseball coach Ryan Strickland will enter the 2023 season with as talented a group as he has ever had at this tradition-rich program.

The pitching staff will be led by big 6-foot-4 Griffin Taylor, who led the team in doubles last season while batting .480. He’ll be called upon by Strickland to produce at the plate as well as on the mound once again this year.

Taylor, who stopped by the ITG Next offices recently, said he expects to be slotted in the No. 1 or No. 2 spot in the rotation and that he likes what he and his teammates are bringing into the season.

“We have been working hard, and the mentality of our team is great,” Taylor said. “We have had a great offseason working in our limited groups, and I’m excited about the team. We have a new player in Reid Gainous who I think is going to help us a lot.”

Gainous transferred from Cairo this offseason.

(2A) Mt Paran Christian The Eagles are coming off a 2022 season that saw them come up shy of their goal of a state title in Class 2A. They advanced to the semifinals last year, with half of their four losses coming in the semifinals to Wesleyan. After winning Game 1 over the Wolves, Mt. Paran fell 11-7 and 7-6 in a heartbreaking finish to an otherwise fantastic season, finishing 33-4.

The Eagles return the middle of their infield with All-State selections Tate McKee and Jake Tucker. Senior CF Nick Jermain returns, while Paul Farley leads the returning pitchers. Kyle Reese will lead the Eagles into the season beginning on Feb. 22 against Midtown.

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(1A-D1) Metter Metter will be trying to add another championship trophy to an already crowded display, with several returning starters back from last season’s 31-win, state title team.

The Region 4 Tigers of head coach Zach Rackett will be led by returning junior and Vanderbilt commit Rustan Rigdon, who will return at SS and will pitch. Seniors Kaliq Jordan and Reco Coney will play OF and be counted on to pitch this season.

Senior Brooks Longgrear will man 1B again this year. Senior Smith Delke will play a utility role, jumping in at 2B, SS, or wherever needed by coach Rackett.

Metter has won two straight state championships. Will 2023 make it a three-peat for the Tigers?

(1A-D2) Wilcox County The Patriots return nine starters from last season’s 27-2 team, and head coach Stephen McDuffie hopes they can make yet another deep run this season. Last year saw a dominating playoff performance with impressive, back-to-back 2-0 series sweeps of Treutlen and Clinch County before falling to Social Circle in the quarterfinals.

The returning starters include senior 3B Larsen Luke, a couple of pitching lefties with sophomores Johnny Nutt and Jake Howell, and big RHP Jordan Stephens. Sophomore Garrett Keene is an All-State selection who will return to play middle infield as well as pitch (right-handed). SS Abe Stows is a senior who will return to give the young but talented Wilcox team guidance this season as they work their way toward what we predict will be a solid run at the GHSA Class 1A-DII state championship.

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NEW PATIE NTS BEING ACC EPTED Call 229-386-5222 to make your appointment.

ITG Next | 23

Little hearts need BIG expertise.

Nationally recognized Wolfson Children’s Hospital of Jacksonville has taken care of little hearts for decades. Our highly skilled Terry Heart Institute team is dedicated to providing the most advanced cardiac care to our patients. We have all the needed specialists to diagnose, treat, manage and study congenital and acquired heart conditions.

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24 | itgnext.com

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ITG Next | 25

All sports. All injuries. All year long.

No matter the sport, no matter the season, the Phoebe orthopaedics and sports medicine team works hard to get their patients back to what they love. From the field to diagnosis and treatment you can count on Phoebe’s certified athletic trainers, orthopaedic specialists and physical therapists for a team approach to top-quality care.

To learn how Phoebe’s comprehensive orthopaedic and sports medicine team can help you, visit phoebeortho.com.

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Phoebe Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine of Albany

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ITG Next | 27

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5 Questions With Dooly County Head Football Coach Cecil Lester Written by: Phil Jones

Dooly County head football coach Cecil Lester is in his first season overseeing the Bobcats football program. He led his team to two consecutive playoff victories, a place in our Top 25 rankings the week of Nov. 20, and, at the time of this interview, was getting ready for a quarterfinal matchup. In the following interview, Lester talks about his journey from high school to where he is right now.

Q: Coach Lester, thank you for allowing us to ask you a few questions. Let’s start with your background as a player. Many people outside of Dooly county may not know that you actually played football for the Bobcats as their quarterback! What years did you play? How did you guys do back then?

A: I played quarterback from 1994-1999 and we were pretty

good. I ended my senior year ironically in a quarterfinal game against Lincoln County, which we lost 34-12 at home. Our record was 11-2.

Q: When you graduated from Dooly County, your football journey was really just beginning as a player, then as a coach. Did you have any idea yet your life was going to continue evolving around football after leaving high school?

A: To be honest, I did. I even wrote it down my senior year in

high school. I was always told to do something you love in order to have a great life. So football it was. I wanted to mentor the youth, as well as be a model to the kids in my community.

Q: Staying with your football path, let’s talk about this past off-season. You were named the interim head coach in the off-season when Philip Hale left to take another job. You stepped right in and now here you are,

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leading your team through a Thanksgiving day practice as you get ready to take your team into the quarterfinal round of the playoffs – a position any coach would love to be in. You must be living right, Coach!

A: Yes, I am. This is a dream come true, or better yet this is everything imagined!

Q: Regardless of what happens in this quarterfinal round, it’s been a phenomenal season and a job well done. Talk about the guys who have been the leaders on and off the field for this Dooly County football team, and who do you have coming back next year?

A: This team has been lead by Ja'Tyler Lundy, Lorenzo Clayton, Dyquan Robinson, John Brown, Grananda Ridley, Jobar Gates, Jadarian Fairfax, Markevious Evans, Marlon Smith, Eric Almond, Jamari Sanders, Tre'Devin Cross, Tre Collier, and a handful of others. Those are our seniors, and they have been very instrumental in this journey to the finish.

These guys made a sacrifice of their summer and a dedication to me that they would be more than just a senior this year. They promised to give everything they had so that they wouldn't have any regrets. Next year we will bring Jalen Hall, Antwan Clayton, De'Ante Burden, and a host of other players back.

Q: Bonus question: Do you hope to be officially named as the permanent head coach heading into the 2023 season? I’d say you made a pretty good case for yourself.

A: I haven't been named it officially, but I think I've made a pretty tough case to be named the guy. If they go another way, I wouldn't be upset, because I've done what I set out to do, which is lead a bunch of kids to see their potential in life and in this sport that they participated in. I helped those kids realize that they can do anything if they go into it with the right mindset!

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Valwood Basketball

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Dr. Robin Hines, executive director of the Georgia High School Association, is in his sixth year leading the GHSA, and he has had a busy 2022 overseeing member schools’ reclassification and successful state championships in football and flag football.

Q: Dr. Hines, thank you for joining us. As GHSA executive director, you are coming off an important meeting between the GHSA and the Atlanta Falcons regarding moving the football state championships back to Mercedes Benz Stadium. Can you tell us when the talks first began with the Falcons about possibly returning the title games to MBS? A: They began the day the decision was made to leave MBS. I have a great relationship with [Falcons president and CEO] Rich McKay; there’s not a better guy anywhere. He is passionate about kids and high school football and really wants his organization to be a part of it. Our partnership with the Falcons and girls flag football has been wildly successful, and we always felt the same could be true with 11-man football. As a result, we’re heading back that way.

4 Questions With GHSA Executive Director Dr. Robin Hines Written by: Phil Jones

Q: We remember that the state championships were held there before, and presumably costs were a factor that initiated a change to Center Parc Stadium.

What changed to make the return to MBS possible?

A: MBS has been in business for a while now, and they understand better how we can cut costs while maintaining the great experience for the students and spectators. We are in great shape financially, and the Falcons have been generous in the way the settlement will be reconciled that will ensure beneficial payouts for participating schools, which is of utmost importance for the GHSA. Q: You’ve been busy in your role as GHSA executive director. In addition to your daily duties of overseeing hundreds of thousands student-athletes and their eligibility, plus ongoing transfers, another exciting football state finals, and the meeting with the Falcons, you have also had to address the seemingly always-present subject of instant replay. I realize the current bylaws of the GHSA do not allow instant replay, but has there been, or will there be, any consideration for the use of instant replay at the state championship level or at team’s home stadiums?

A: Yes, while I don't make the rules, I can with great confidence believe that instant replay will be a part of the football championships next year. This is a complicated issue operationally and otherwise. Questions are what can be reviewed, will it be coaches’ challenges, scoring plays. etc. We can’t slow the game down, but clearly we want to get it right. If the technology exists, we should always consider it.

Q: While these are the most talked-about issues and topics making headlines, there is always a lot of work that folks are not aware of. What are some of the more pressing issues that you and the association are working on that you can share with us?

A: There are many, but I would want to mention that sportsmanship is always in the forefront of my mind. It should be at the front of the line of things taught and coached in all of our schools.

ITG Next | 35

Mitchell County Football

36 | itgnext.com

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ITG Next | 37

R I S E

T O

T H E

CHALLENGE

SATURDAY, FEB. 18, 2023 The Southeast Georgia Health System Foundation Bridge Run across the scenic Sidney Lanier Bridge in Brunswick, Georgia, has been certif ied by the U.S. Track and Field Association as “the toughest 5K in Georgia.”

The Bridge Run also includes a walk and a family-f riendly festival, featuring vendors, food and drinks, entertainment and children’s activities.

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912-466-2786 38 | itgnext.com

Garrett Grady Reflects on First Season as Brunswick Head Football Coach Written by: Phil Jones | Photography by: Sean Perry

Garrett Grady’s first year as the Brunswick Pirates’ head football coach can be defined as a success, even if the season did end a little sooner than everyone expected. A first-round playoff loss to the Houston County Bears is not how Grady, his staff, the players, and of course, the fans were expecting their season to come to an end. Not after an undefeated run through the regular season that saw Brunswick finish 10-0 heading into that fateful opening-round playoff game.

But for Grady, it’s just the start of something bigger.

“It was a tough way to end such a great season with our playoff game, but that doesn’t take away from the legacy that this group of seniors and this team has left behind,” Grady said, acknowledging that when it comes to Class 6A football in Georgia, it’s very hard – if not down right impossible most seasons – to win every game.

Grady said the key was continuing the same approach to excellence that began last season with him as the Brunswick football team’s offensive coordinator.

“This makes backto-back regular seasons that Brunswick High has gone undefeated,” he said. “The season motto was truly one game at a time, because we knew with our schedule that we had some big matchups and that we couldn’t look ahead or be satisfied with the success we were having. This team also won back-to-back region championships, which is a great accomplishment as well.”

Grady was pleased with the way his team played overall, but he pointed to three games in particular when his team showed what they were made of.

“We had three games this season where we were behind at halftime – against Camden, Bolles, and the playoff game against Houston Coun-

ty – but our team never quit,” he said.

In the Camden game, Brunswick trailed 10-7 at the half after managing just one early first-quarter touchdown. But the Pirates would rally with 9 fourth-quarter points while holding Camden scoreless in the second half to defeat the Class 7A Wildcats 16-10.

The next week, Grady and his Brunswick football team played in the inaugural “Border War” classic, which pitted Georgia teams against Florida schools at Glynn County Stadium. Brunswick faced off against the Bolles School of Jacksonville and trailed the traditional Florida power by a field goal, 3-0. But just as they were able to do a week earlier, the Pirates defense held their opponent scoreless in the second half, and Grady’s offense came up big with another strong fourth quarter, scoring 20 unanswered points to win 20-3.

The Pirates also trailed at halftime of the playoff game against Houston

County, by a 14-7 margin.

The Bears stretched that lead to two TDs in the third quarter, going up 21-7. But with Garret calling the offensive plays, Brunswick fought back with two TDs, including a late score in regulation to even the game at 21-21. In overtime, Brunswick actually took the lead, scoring first to lead 28-21, only to have Houston County score a touchdown and a 2-point conversion to win by a point. Still, Grady said his team never doubted they could win in every game.

“Our team never quit,” he said. “This group never batted an eye; even when we were down like we were in those games, they stayed positive and focused on the game.”

Looking ahead to his second year at the helm of Brunswick football, Grady said he’s excited about the return of several key members who have helped lead the Pirates to 20 straight regular season victories.

“We will have several key players returning,

including on offense our quarterback, JR Elkins, wide receiver Terry Mitchell, and running backs Jamarious Towns and William Heck,” Grady said.

“Defensively, we will have linebackers Devin Smith and Jashawn Towns, defensive backs Tyler Sams and Taivon Gadson, and defensive linemen River Creel and Donyea Broughton returning.”

Grady added that the Pirates 2023 schedule would look very similar to this year.

Discussing the biggest difference between being a coordinator and a head coach, Grady said it’s learning to oversee the entire team instead of just one side of the ball, and learning to trust and delegate to the assistant coaches.

“I have a great staff here at Brunswick High,” he said. “They did an amazing job of developing relationships with their position groups and cultivating a family atmosphere for our players.”

ITG Next | 39

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15th Annual ITG Next South Georgia High School Football Banquet HONORING SOUTH GEORGIA’S TOP ATHLETES Presented by:

Guest Speaker Mike Norvell

Florida State University Head Football Coach

DECEMBER 2022

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TOP OFFENSIVE AND DEFENSIVE PLAYERS FROM 35+ SOUTH GEORGIA TEAMS Presented by:

Presented by:

Lee County High School

Cook High School

Presented by:

Bonny Carreker

Lee County Touchdown Club

Valwood School

Presented by:

Presented by:

Berrien High School

Presented by:

Cairo High School Worth County High School

Presented by:

Presented by:

Presented by:

Valdosta High School Tift County High School Tiftarea Academy

Presented by: Thomasville High School

Presented by:

Presented by:

Presented by: Clinch County High School Lanier County High School Lowndes High School

Veterans High School

Crisp Academy Crisp County High School Doooly County High School

Northside High School Perry High School Warner Robins High School

Presented by:

Presented by:

Presented by:

Brooks County High School Colquitt County High School Mitchell County High School Pelham High School

Coffee High School Fitzgerald High School Irwin County High School

Brantley County High School Brunswick High School Camden County High School Frederica Academy Glynn Academy McIntosh County Academy

MAJOR AWARDS Hughston Clinic Coach of the Year Colony Bank Offensive Player of the Year Valdosta Toyota Defensive Player of the Year Baker’s Sports Special Teams Player of the Year Farah & Farah Forward Progress Award

TOC Scholar Athlete of the Year Preferred Rental Community Involvement Award Wolfson Children’s Hospital Middle School Player of the Year ITG Next 12th Man Award

ITG Next | 43

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ITG Next | 45

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ITG Next | 47

Keep going.

. g n i w o r g p Kee 2022

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